Trailer-truck.



J. F. ECGARD ff T. SMITH.

TRALER TRUCK.

APPLICA'HO.: PH.T.I JAN.2,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'Mam/Ummm owfvbm moc o l ,(7 w@ @M @M wf/M Pateutsd Nov. 17, 1914.

J. F. ECCARD @L J. SMITH.

TRAILER TRUCK.

.wmlm'row FILED JAN.2,1913.

l l l 7,944. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2A No: c1341 J. P. ECCARD L J. SMITH.

TRAILER TRUCK.

AI'NJCAMQN FILED JAN.2.1913.

l ,1 1 7,944, Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

l wm

entren sierras PATENT operon.

JOHN F. IECOABD AND JACOB SMITH, OF TROY, OHIO, ASSIGNORS T0 THE TROY AGON Y WORKS COMPANY, 0F TROY, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

TRAILER-TRUCK.

Speecation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

To ZZ 'whom 'it may concern:

e it known that we, JOHN F. Eocene and Jacon SMrrrr, citizens of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trailer'- Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in reversible trucks, some of the features being more particularly applicable to trucks or wagons designed to be drawn by motor vehicles and also particularly applicable to trucks wherein springs are employed between the bed and the axle.

In motor drawn trucks or vehicles and machines generally of this character it has been found desirable to mount the bed of the truck upon springs to compensate for the jar and shocks of the increased speed of travel and it has also been common to make the trucks and wagons of this type reversible in the sense that the vehicle may be drawn from either end." It has been usual to provide a draft-bar, which preferably must be capable of a swinging lateral movement in order to guide the wheels when the vehicle is being drawn from that end and the draft-bar is also made capable ot' being locked in a central positionto the vehicle body when the wagon or vehicle is being drawn trom the opposite end.

One of the main objects ot' this invention is to so arrange the various parts as to allow for a vertical movement, a swinging movement, a longitudinal movement and a torsional movement ot' the draft-bar with respect to its connection with the wheels and considerable diiiculty has 4been experienced in making a practical construction where there is considerable relative movement between the bed ot the wagon and the ends ot' the axle and guide connections by reason of the necessity of taking care of the vertical, longitudinal, swinging and torsional movement of the draft-bar in relation. to its connection to the wheels.

lmportant features of this invention are that one ot the wheels may be raised or lowered and the bed ot the wagon may, at the same time, move to some extent up and down andyet the torsional strains will be taken care of by the genera-l construction illustrated herein.

The general constructionconslsts 1n havino preferably semi-elliptic springs of theordinary type employed in the vehicles of this class located between the bed of the vehicle and each end of the axle and having the wheels mounted on rotatable spin-4` dles. Preferably a transverse memberI isf employed between the rotatable spindles and the swinging draft bar and a connection is formed on said transverse member such as to provide for the lateral swinging and torsional movement of said draft-bar and it is desirable that the draft-bar should also be supported near its front end by'guides con-; nected with the bed of the machine.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of the vev hicle showing the draft-bar yin central position. Fig. 2 is a top plan viewv of a portion of the same showing the draft-bar swung to one side. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longi-` A tudinal section through a portion of the device with the draft-bar in central position.

Like parts are represented by similar characters of reference in the several views.

The trucks to which these improvements relate are preferably constructed exactly alike at each end, and in the drawings, therefore, there is illustrated oneA end only of the trucln l In the drawings, ll represents the side members and la one end of the main frame upon which the body (not shown) of the vehicle is mounted. This frame is supported upon springs 2secured -to the axle 3, in any suitable manner, the wheels 4, being swivelly connected to the respective ends'of the axle in a well-known manner'so that they may be turned with respect thereto for guiding purposes. To accomplish this, there is provided a transverse member 5, connected at its respective ends to the arms 6 projecting from the vertically arranged trunnions7 of the spindles 8, upon which the wheels are journaled, and which are rotatably mounted in the biturcated endso'f the f loo , main frame when the vehicle is being drawn :from the other end, the draft bar being extended beneath the frame member la and supported atl its free end by the frame member 1b. hicles of this character, but thenianner of connecting the same With the steering niember 5 and with the main frame and draft appliances, as the case may be, are the novel Afeatures of these improvements and will.

novv be'described.

The steering member 5 is bifurcated at its central portion, preferably by interposing in the central portion a frame composed of the pieces 5a and 5b, and Within this bifurcated portion is swivelly connected a rectangular open frame 11, through which the bar swingsfrom side to side, it will movev with it the member 5, the frame ll swiveling inthe bifurcated portion of the member 5, as indicated in `Fig. 2. As the member 5 moves up and down in a vertical direction, due to the vibration of the springsupported frame with respect to the axle and carrying Wheels, the rounded shoes or plates Qbvtvill slide upon the plates ll to permit otthis. As torsional motion takes place in the draft bar, due tothe possible alternate action of opposite springs or other causes, the rounded shoes will rock upon the plates lla.' Therefore, it Will be seen that the connection between the frame-supported draft-bar and the connecting rod 5, which is supported by the axle, is such that the draft bar and connecting member may have a swinging movement, a vertical movement, a longiti'idinal movement and a torsional movement, with respect to each other.

It is apparent that with a construction suchthat vthe bed Can'have considerable movement in its relation to the-axle and the axle lilevise considerable vertical movement in its relation to the bed, employing a swinging draft-bar supported on the bed, it is especially important that the various movements of the draft bar be proidded for in the arrangements of the parts and to that end there has been illustrated a sliding form of connection between the draft-bar and the transverse member connected with thev gear or axle part oit' the machine. In the various ligures the sliding connection is preferably shown to consist of an open frame which is shown. in vertical position, as for instance in Fig. 3 the .open frame ll is shown in vertical position with the guides oi' plates l1 rlhis draft bar is common in ve in substantially vertical alinement With the draft-bar 9, It is apparent, however, that in Fig. 3, the plates lla instead of being in vertical alinement will readily be inclined to an angle to the vertical, and thereby the rounded shoe will rock on the plates or guides lla, butif during the time the open frame is in that inclined position the draftbar is required to slideup and down in its relation tosaid frame by reason of any movement of the bed of the Wagon in its relation to the axle, it will be apparent that the draft bar by this sliding movement will be brought in proper cooperative relation to said frame such that a line drawn through the center of the draft-bar perpendicular to the top `surit'acevof the draft-bar Will be parallel With the line drawn perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the transverse member 5, or in other Words the perpendicular line drawn through the center of the draft-bar will be parallel with the guides or plates lla. Therefore, the construction disclosed herein is one such that the draft-bar may have a sliding up and down movement in its relation .to the trans verse member in anyl position assumed by the transverse member Without in any Way interfering with the swinging movement of the draft-bar and likewise providing for the torsional movements and in a general Way it may be said that there is such connection between the draft bar and the transverse member that a line drawn through the center of the draft-bar perpendicular to its horizontal surface will be parallel to the vertical line drawn perpendicular to the horizontal surface of the transverse member.

While the transverse member is shown as located in front of the axle, if desired it might be located at the rear thereof with the same results.

While the draft bar is shown supported entirely by the bed of the machine, it has'a connection with the axle and Wheels suchv that any lateral or swinginglmovement of the draft bar will be transmitted to the wheels, but said draft bar will not be at'- fected by any relative movement of the *frame and axle and therefore the springs can be employed without interfering with the operation of the dratt bars.

Having thus described our invention, we clainu- I l. ln a vehicle of the character described, a trame, an axle located below said frame, said frame boing supported upon said axle so as to be capable ot` a movement relative thereto, carrying wheels swivelly connected with said axle, a draft-bar pivotally connected with said frame, a transverse steering member connected with said wheels, and a loose connection between said draft-bar and said transver'e member to permit said bar and member to have relative movement with respect to each other. v

2. ln a vehicle of the character described, an axle, wheels swivelly connected with said axle, spi-in on said axle, a frame supported on said springs, a transverse member connected with said wheels, a draft bar pivotally connected with said frame and supported thereby, and a loose connection be tween said bar and member such that said bar may move said member in a transverse direction to steer said wheels but permitting vertical and torsional movements of said bar and member with respect to each other.

3. in a vehicle otl the character described,

an axle, wheels swivelly connected with said axle, a spring-supported frame upon said axle, a transverse member connected with said wheels, a draft bar pivotally connected with and supported by said frame, and a swiveled onen raine carried by said member through which said draft bar loosely extends, whereby the movement of said bar is transmitted to said member for the purpose of steering said wheels.

l. In a vehicle ot the character described, an axle, wheels swivelly connected with said axle, a spring-supported frame upon said axle, a transve se member connected with said wheels, a draft bar pivotally connected with said frame and supported thereby, a swiveled irame connected with said transverse member through which said dra'l't bar extends and by which the movement of said bar is transmitted to said transverse member', the contacting surfaces bctween said bar and swiveled frame being such as to permit ot' a movement between said bar and transverse member to compensate tor torsional movements of said frame with respect to said axle.

ln a vehicle of the character described, an axle, wheels swivelly connected with said axle, a spring-supported frame upon said axle, a transverse member connected with said wheels, a draft bar pivotally connected with said frame and supported thereby, a swiveled member connected with said transverse member through which said bar extends and through the medium of which the movement ot said bar may be transmitted to said member, the relation ot' said bar to said swivcled member being such as to permit ot' a vertical movement and also of a. torsional movement between said bar and transverse member.

6. ln a vehicle of the character described, an axle, wheels swivelly connected with said axle, a spring-supported main frame upon said axle, a transverse member connected with said wheels, a draft bar pivotally connected with said frame and supported thereby, and a swiveled frame connected with said transverse member and through which saidbar extends, the sides of said bar having rounded faces adapted to ycontact the sides of said swiveled frame, for the purpose specified.

7. In a vehicle of the character described, an axle, wheels swivelly connected with said axle, a spring-siipported main frame upon said axle, a transverse member connected with said wheels, a draft bar pivotally connected with said l'rame and supported thereby, a swiveled 'rame connected with said transverse member through which said bar extends, the sides of said barhaving rounded surfaces adapted to contact with the sides of said swiveled frame, whereby the movement of said bar may be transmitted to said member but torsional movement oi the `parts with respect to each other permitted, the height ot' said swiveled frame being greater than the height oit' said bar to permit a vertical movement of the parts with respect to each other.

8. In a vehicle of the character described,

a bed frame and axle, swiveled carrying wheels, springs between the `frame and the axle, a draft-bar pivotally connected with the frame, a transverse member connected with the wheels, a connection between the draft-bar and said transverse member whereby a line drawn through the center of the draft-bar perpendicular to its horizontal surface will be pa ralled with a line drawn perpendicular to the transverse member, for the purpose spccilied.

E). In a vehicle of the character described, swiveled carrying wheels, with a 'frame supported upon said wheels, a transverse member connected with said wheels, springs between said wheels and said frame, a draftbar pivotally connected with said frame, and a sliding connection between said draftbar and said transverse member to take care oi the v rions movements of said draft-bar in its relation to said transverse members, substantially as specified.

l0. In avehiele o'l tl'iecharacter described, swiveled carrying wheels, a frame, a draftbar pivotally mounted on the vframe, springs located between the frame and carrying` wheels, a steering connection extending transversely from said wheels, and a connection supported upon said transverse steering device adapted to receive the draftbar and capable ol.: allowing 'for the swinging, longitudinal and torsional movement of` said draft-bar, substantially as specified.

l1. In a vehicle ol the character described, swiveled wheels, a bed frame supported by said wheels, a draft bar pivotally mounted at its rear and slidingly supported by said bed frame at its front end, a. transverse n testimony whereof, We have hereunto member connected with said Wheels, and a set our hand thisv 26th day of December, 1o loose connection between the draft bar and 1912.

the transverse member for moving said JOHN F. ECCARD. member transversely to steer said Wheels JACOB SMITH. but permitting vertical, longitudinal and l/Vtnesses: torsional movement of said bar and trans- CEAS. A. GEIGER,

verse member for the purpose specified. F. M. CHASE. 

